Shawn Marshall Owens, a 44-year-old resident of the District of Columbia, has been sentenced to 67 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to six counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Owens admitted to robbing at least six Metro by T-Mobile stores in Washington, D.C., during 2023. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy J. Kelly ordered that Owens serve three years of supervised release following his incarceration.
According to court documents, Owens began his series of robberies on July 14, 2023, when he entered a Metro by T-Mobile store on the 4500 block of East Capitol Street, NE. He pointed what appeared to be a handgun at an employee and demanded cash and cell phones before fleeing with three phones and approximately $500.
On July 29, 2023, Owens returned to the same store and confronted the same employee he had robbed earlier. “Don’t play games…you know what to do,” Owens said during the robbery. He handed the employee a backpack and instructed him to empty the register into it before taking several cell phones and leaving.
The third incident occurred on September 2, 2023, at a Metro by T-Mobile store on North Capitol Street, NW. Owens threatened an employee with a silver and black handgun and demanded Apple iPhones; when told none were in stock, he took $446 from the register and four phones from the counter. He also questioned the employee about a safe before instructing her not to call police until he left.
On September 13, 2023, Owens returned to another North Capitol Street location where he again displayed a firearm and asked for access to a safe as well as an employee’s personal belongings. Unable to obtain keys for the safe—which were no longer kept onsite—he took $250 from the register along with at least five new phones.
Owens committed his fifth robbery on October 1, 2023, at a Metro by T-Mobile store on Mount Pleasant Street, NW. He demanded money and iPhones from an employee while brandishing a handgun. After ordering the employee to face away from him, Owens stole $1,000 in cash along with electronics including a laptop and speaker.
The final robbery took place December 10, 2023, at a Georgia Avenue NW location where two employees were present. Owens threatened them with a handgun before stealing cash and carrying out a box containing phones valued at over $3,100. Police arrested him shortly afterward; he was found in possession of both cash and stolen merchandise.
Investigators determined that each targeted store engaged in buying and selling goods across state lines; thus each incident impacted interstate commerce either directly or potentially delayed or obstructed it. In all cases, Owens used an Airsoft replica handgun resembling an actual firearm.
Assistant Director Darren B. Cox of the FBI Washington Field Office and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department joined U.S. Attorney Pirro in announcing the sentencing decision.
The case was investigated jointly by MPD officers and FBI agents from Washington Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared English prosecuted the case with support from former Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Haley M. Pennington and Alexander Schneider.
